


Respects

by acid_and_oil (orphan_account)



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Funeral, no phantom planet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 18:18:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12195174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/acid_and_oil
Summary: After all of the lab mis-haps, ghost hunting, reckless driving, and being the target of a vengeful half-ghost, it was almost surreal that it was heart disease that had finally taken the life of Jack Fenton in the end.





	Respects

Danny felt so awkward. He was standing next to the wall in the funeral parlor. People were walking past, offering condolences. Was he supposed to respond to people? Shake hands? Say thank you? He didn't even want to be there. Not with all of these people, most of whom he barely even knew.

Now he was seated, and his mom was speaking at the front of the room. She was wearing a black dress. It was so strange. Danny was often embarrassed by his mother's clothing. Right now, he would given anything to see his mother in her teal suit, provided that it was with his father, alive and well, standing beside her. 

Danny woodenly went through the motions for the remainder of the service. He stood when he was supposed to stand, sat when he was supposed to sit. His girlfriend Sam and best friend Tucker were both there, comforting Danny and paying their respects to Mr. Fenton. 

Maddie sat back down after her words. The tears were freely flowing down Jazz's face as she stood up and faced the mourners.

"Anyone who knew Jack Fenton knew that he was a character. My father went at life with the enthusiasm of a child, and the mind of an inventor. He was larger in than life, in more ways than one." There were scattered chuckles, and Jazz swallowed before continuing. She shared the story of when she and her dad bonded over ghost hunting on the weekend Danny and her Mom were in Colorado. 

It was Danny's turn to go up and say a few words. Tucker gave Danny a nod, and Sam squeezed his shoulder real quick, and then it was time. He took his sister's place in front of the orange banner with a blow up of Jack Fenton's face on it.

"He would have really loved all  this, you know?" Danny gestured to the pots of bright orange gladiolus flowers, and various posters and banners. "Dad always liked to leave his mark on the things he made. The Fenton Thermos, Fenton Weasel, Fenton Ghost catcher. He even invented a toaster that burned his face right into the bread." He paused as people laughed. "But Dad used to say that his favorite thing that he ever gave the Fenton name to was his family. Dad loved his family. He used to embarrass me to no end, but I wouldn’t do it over if I could. My father helped shaped me into the man I am today, and… and I can’t believe he is gone. I’m going to miss you, Dad.”

Danny had held it together this far, but as soon as he took his place next to Sam, it was like a floodgate opened, and he just couldn’t stop crying. Sam held him as he shook in her arms, doing his best to at least keep the volume down, because keeping the tears from falling just wasn’t going to happen. Tucker took the stand next, keeping in his trademark light tone, but everyone knew he was serious. 

“Mr. Fenton was like a second father to me. I’ve been friends with Danny since the fourth grade, and Mr. Fenton was always like this cool dad, you know? He always gave us the best snacks, and when he found out that I was interested in technology, he would talk engineer with me. Most of what he wanted to talk about involved ghost hunting technology, but still, it was really cool. When you are a kid, you don’t think about the adults you know dying.” Tucker gave Danny, who was now silently staring at him and listening, a sympathetic glance. “Out of all the dangerous things Mr. Fenton did for work, all the ghosts that were after him, and the way that he drove…and it’s heart disease. It’s a reality check.” 

After the service, a small group of family and friends continued to a field. Jack had a very specific, very Jack-like request with what be done with his body. Neither Maddie or Jack had been religious, and Jack had no desire to take up space in the earth. The family sat down on a blanket as the sun set. When it was dark enough, Maddie lit the fuse of the custom firecracker. A shower of orange sparks shot off, forming an outline that looked like Jack Fenton’s face. His cremated ashes had been mixed in with the sulfur. It was the ultimate send off.

Sam was stroking her boyfriend’s hair, when she felt him stiffen in her arms. She knew that look. When he got up to search for the ghost, she followed behind at a distance. 

“Not now…” Danny muttered, chill passing his lips. “I’m going ghost.” He didn’t know who it was, but he had hope that ghosts of all beings would understand the situation he was in. Although maybe it would help his sadness and feelings of helplessness to pummel Technus or something. He finally made it to the source.

“You!!!” Danny tensed up, battle ready. His eyes glowed, green energy welling up around his already clenched fists. "You have some kind of nerve, showing up here!"

Sam was about to step into the clearing as well, when Tucker put up an arm to stop her. Their weapons were ready, but for now, they would wait.

Vlad Plasmius was floating at the edge of the wood, blue face turned toward the sky. He looked down at Danny Phantom with big, red eyes, and lowered himself calmly to the ground.

“I am not looking for a fight, Daniel. I am merely here to pay my respects.”

“You’re respects? Are you kidding me?” Danny Phantom’s teeth clenched in anger, he was practically spitting his words. 

Danny Phantom fired bolt after bolt of angry, unfocused ecto-energy. “This is what you wanted” BLAST “isn’t it?”BLAST, “You’ve wanted him dead for years!” Vlad Plasmius blocked them all in turn, doing nothing to cause any harm. “I got news for you Vlad. My mom is never going to love you, never. And I’m never going to be your son. I hate you.” Danny Phantom collapsed onto one knee, the white rings reverting him back to human form. Danny was quiet, his head bowed, sobs ripping from his throat. When the words came, they were barely audible.

“He was probably the only person who even liked you. Are you happy now?.”

Black rings fell, and Danny didn’t even protest when he felt the warm arms encircle him in a hug. He buried his face in his enemy's shoulder, sob after shuddering sob escaping his lips.

“I miss him too, Daniel. I miss him too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I killed off Jack. Oops.  
> Heavily inspired by the Justice Leauge TAS episode "Hereafter"
> 
> If you haven't seen it, there is a heart-wrenching scene where Lex Luthor comforts Lois Lane at Superman's funeral.


End file.
